Japan stocks snap winning streak, but rise for July

LauraHe

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — Japanese stocks broke their four-day string of advances on Thursday, but still notched a solid gain for the month of July.

The Nikkei Average
NIK, -0.16%
slipped 0.2% to 15,620.80, retreating from a six-month closing high in the previous day. For the month, the index climbed 3%.

The broader Topix index
180460, +0.04%
also edged down 0.2%, while the yen
USDJPY, -0.28%
strengthened against the dollar to ¥102.79 from ¥102.863 on Wednesday.

Console maker Nintendo Co.
7974, +1.16%
was among top losers, sinking 6.5%, after the company said its operating loss nearly doubled in the April-June quarter from a year ago, despite the success of its “Mario Kart 8” racing game.

In Hong Kong, stocks eked out small gains after choppy session, managing to close higher for an eighth day in a row. The Hang Seng Index
HSI, +0.32%
ticked up 0.1%. For July, the benchmark jumped 6.8%.

Over on the Chinese mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index
SHCOMP, +0.02%
advanced 0.9%.

Intraday Data provided by SIX Financial Information and subject to terms of use. Historical and current end-of-day data provided by SIX Financial Information. All quotes are in local exchange time. Real-time last sale data for U.S. stock quotes reflect trades reported through Nasdaq only. Intraday data delayed at least 15 minutes or per exchange requirements.